Would You Read A Book on Buqo?

For Pinoy bibliophiles, buqo has just given you a reason to read more local books and magazines. Buqo is a digital bookstore, newsstand and reader, all in one app. If you’re familiar with e-reader apps like Nook and Kindle and their counterpart e-commerce websites Barnes and Noble and Amazon, this Pinoy version works basically in a similar manner. Except that this version chooses to sell local content, carrying all-Filipino content written in English and Filipino. This app is a collaboration between Hand Interactive, a Summit Media company, and Ookbee, developer of the number one e-bookstore app in Thailand.

Buqo titles range from bestsellers to indie, from children’s books to inspirational to steamy/sexy reads and everything in between. Currently, it has over 500 books and magazines and counting. Popular titles such as Pol Medina’s Pugad Baboy, Bo Sanchez’s Shepherd’s Voice books, Precious Hearts Romances, Summit Media, and Adarna Children’s books, are already in its fold. Current and back issues of magazines are available.

Easy to Use

No worries if you don’t consider yourself much of a techie. If you have a digital device, you can download the app from the PlayStore (for Android devices) or AppStore (for Apple devices).

Buqo makes it easy for you to purchase your favorite local showbiz magazine or the latest book in the Pugad Baboy series. Aside from credit card payments, alternative modes of payment like online banking and over the counter payment options are available. Being a local site, you get to pay in Philippine pesos.

Once you have fully downloaded the content you want, you can enjoy reading your book or magazine offline. You can access your entire library on all your devices—up to seven devices, whether iOS or Android—with just one account.

Buqo gave me a free book and magazine to download to be able to review the app. What follows is my buqo experience.

Walk on the Plus Side

What I like about this app is the preview feature, Get Sample, where you get to read actual pages from the book or magazine. This is useful if you’re undecided and want to have a sneak peek of what’s inside before deciding if it’s worth buying or not.

I also like that there’s an option to choose the screen color theme from among Normal (black text on white background), Sepia (sepia background) and Night (white text on black background). This makes reading easier, as it’s less tiring for the eyes when you can adjust the text and background color.

Careful on the Minus Side

The problem with buqo is that the app is very slow, both in downloading the app itself and the book and magazine titles purchased. And sometimes the app crashes in the middle of the downloading process. So, have lots of patience. Try and try again, and you will be rewarded. 😉

I wish it would add many more book titles in the near future. I hope publishers would embrace technology and make more existing books available in digital format where they can be reached by a wider reading audience composed mostly of the young people who view digital as the default technology.

Lastly, to add to the convenience factor, maybe Paypal can be added to the payment option. (Think impulse buying. No need to look for credit card details.)

Purchase Publications on www.buqo.ph too!

The website, buqo.ph is now up and running, too. Everything you buy on the buqo web store will be delivered to your buqo account and will be ready for downloading and reading on your mobile device. The best part of shopping on buqo.ph is that you get access to web exclusive items such as Playboy Philippines and Red Magazine among others, giving you more options to choose from.

Free Stuff Alert

Download the app and register as a buqo user to receive exclusive perks. As a registered user, you get to be part of the buqo newsletter, giving you first dibs on new content and the latest limited-time-only promos. Best of all, you get to participate in exclusive buqo special offers.